1971 Datsun 521

[Zonargx]

[Zonargx]

Yes I put it on series to check but apparently it lights up with basically touching any metal part on the truck. It lights up touching the front grill the motor or any engine bay part. So now I’m just confused. The battery positive is connected to the starter then from the starter it connects to the alternator positive. Starter doesn’t have a ground strap but the alternator is grounded from the back to the frame of the truck. The negative of the battery is grounded to the engine block

[thisismatt]

It's a continuity tester.  It has it's own power source.  You're basically just proving that those things are grounds.  If you are looking for a draw, you need a basic test light or an amp meter that you hook in series between the battery positive post and the positive terminal, which will then give you a reading if current is being drawn.  At that point you start disconnecting components until the light or reading goes of, narrowing down what is causing the draw.

[Zonargx]

@thisismatt I put that test light in series between the negative post and terminal. If that’s what you mean and the test light lights up. My multimeter doesn’t seem to work on the amp setting so I would have to buy another one later

[banzai510(hainz)]

this is Matt

I showed Zonarrgx how to do it One can do the positive side or the neg side in SERIES

[banzai510(hainz)]

Zonargx

so you have your test light minus side battery clipped and the pointy to the engine  and or body your getting your light to come on is weird.

 

Does this truck have other grounds form the  minus battery to the chassis. Most newer car will have a strap or thick wire

 

 

disconnect the pos battery and then the light should go out.  There has got to be a relay or something  sticking (contacks)to Ground.

 

 

what is weird is the battery Post is not even grounded  and your test light is comes on?

 

You actually have a test light or as this is matt a continoity test which it lights up when its shorted.

 

 

You want a test light (means it a light bulb in there.

a countinoity test has a batty in there

Edited December 23, 2021 by banzai510(hainz)

[Zonargx]

@banzai510(hainz) if I remove the positive it turns off and if I unplug the sense light cable from the alternator it also goes off so my issue has to be around that area right. 

[banzai510(hainz)]

this is matt says you might have a countinoity test instead of a test light. so make sure  we on the same page

[Zonargx]

My minus is grounded to my engine block and also has my electric fans and alternator grounded to it as well. Well alternator is has two ground cables one from the battery and the other that goes in to the old 521 wiring from the original alternator from the l16

[banzai510(hainz)]

Ok I got confused a sec. you putting the minus side battery post and other pointy end of test light  to ground of motor or chassis  is the same as in series with the black cable you just bypassing that.

If a battery drain your light will be on. as it shows

 

so your saying when you disconnect the sense on the alt the test light goes out?

 

Edited December 23, 2021 by banzai510(hainz)

[Zonargx]

I’m confused now I don’t know what a continuity test is. All I know I have a cheap test light from autozone

[Zonargx]

@banzai510(hainz) yea if I disconnect the sense  from the alternator the light goes off

 

 

Test light clamp to negative terminal to pointy part to negative battery post

Edited December 23, 2021 by Zonargx

[banzai510(hainz)]

 a Continioity tester

put the alligator end to the pointey end and see if it lights up.

 

a test light

works when you go across the battery 6 or 12 volt will light it up.

 

 

[Zonargx]

Alligator clip to pointy part it doesn’t light up. Battery negative to positive or in this case any metal in the truck it lights up

[banzai510(hainz)]

when you converted this to IR alternator you have the 2 jumpers acress where the old VR used to go?

 

be honest on the newer motor sa I dont know if there is a slight draw anyways. I know the old Datsun it was EZ just pull the fuses till the light when out to find the circut that is bad. then put the fuse back in then disconnected single items in that circut till light when out. then you found the actual short

[Zonargx]

Yea when I converted I jumped the yellow with white and black/white with red/white

[banzai510(hainz)]

6 minutes ago, Zonargx said:

Battery negative to positive or in this case any metal in the truck it lights up

yes you have a short as your completeing the circut and test light is ON

 

 you can disconnect the main fuses first as i mentioned to find the circut its on.but fuse back in and then disconnect itemas from the circut.

since I see alot of red wires around also maybe fused or not Im guessing.

you said you swapped the altenator already.  you say sense line. I dont know exactly how that works right now

Edited December 23, 2021 by banzai510(hainz)

[Zonargx]

When I first swapped it would do that I then went to Texas for a week came back battery was dead ever since that then the problem started so I bough a new battery and still drains. Now with the new alternator it drains even faster

[thisismatt]

Sense needs to be on a SWITCHED +12v source. Sounds like it is not, and could be the drain.

[Zonargx]

I disconnect every single fuse and light is still on. Only other thing connected to the positive is my amp audio amp so I disconnect it and still on. Other thing connected is the starter and alternator. I tried just connecting the starter and removing the cable for the alternator positive and the light goes off but once I plugged the alternator positive back on it light up again. I then decided to unplug the two wires from the alternator plug and only when the sense is off the light goes off

[banzai510(hainz)]

you have the alternators checked out?

is this a nissan alt? where the t connector matches with the old 521 type or this the newer KA connector on there?

 

I say ask DatsunMike as I cant fish threw all my photos right now.

[Zonargx]

This is @thisismatt I literally was thinking about doing putting a switch and turning it off when I turn the truck off but thought it was wrong to do.

[Zonargx]

Ka alternator 

[thisismatt]

1 minute ago, Zonargx said:

This is @thisismatt I literally was thinking about doing putting a switch and turning it off when I turn the truck off but thought it was wrong to do.

It should already be switched with the factory wiring, but I don't know what's been done to your harness

[banzai510(hainz)]

I think This is Matt is close.

 

PS you have a switch!!!! Its called a Key switch. when you turn to On it energizes the alternator

 

you wire the KA connector correctly?

Edited December 23, 2021 by banzai510(hainz)